The School Bus
by MagicInHerMadness
Summary: Hasil is never late for the bus. Sasil AU. Pure Fluff.


**A/N: Hi! So I'm really new to Sasil. This is only the second story I've written for them but I'll definitely write more. I think what makes them so incredible is how they're so classically "boy meets girl." In the midst of all the crazy, they have all these beautiful new love "I like you" moments. I know the season ended roughly for them, but for all of you new to shipping, believe me I've seen otps rebound from way worse than that, so don't worry.**

 **Anyway, this is a little semi-AU drabble that really digs into that "boy meets girl" bubbliness. I hope y'all like it.**

Hasil jogged down the dirt road shortcut leading off the mountain, going as quickly as he could in his heavy boots. He knew even without a watch that he was on time but he found he could never be early enough for the school bus. He could hear Asa, Lil Foster, and G'win on the other side of the thicket of trees, gunning their four wheelers as they neared the road, but he had no desire to join them. Nothing about the freedom of taking their own vehicles to school appealed to him when the bus afforded him the ultimate luxury: being near Sally Ann.

They had been sharing shy smiles in the lunchroom for three weeks before Hasil practically begged the secretary in the front office for a bus permission slip, something he should have been four months to obtain. But the silver-haired woman, Mrs. Raye, had taken pity on his smitten face and given him one. He hadn't missed the bus in three weeks.

He reached the street and stood at the bus stop, shrugging his backpack off his shoulders just as his friends rounded the corner. They slowed to a stop before him.

"You comin' cousin?" Asa asked, gesturing to the empty seat behind Lil Foster.

Hasil shook his head. "Got a smoother ride if tha's alright with y'all."

"I bet," G'win teased with a smile. She tightened her grip on Asa's midsection. "Hasil's usin' the bus to court."

Asa laughed then winked at his cousin. "Don't hurt yourself, cousin."

"Nothin' painful about what I got my eye on, cousin," Hasil replied with a grin as the bus approached. Asa and Lil Foster gunned their engines and sped away. The bus pulled up to its proper stop and the doors opened. Hasil climbed in and smiled at the cranky bus driver, Mr. Dixon. "Mornin'."

The man smirked at the teen's chipper expression then grunted a reply as Hasil passed. He went to their usual seats near the back and sat down, setting his backpack in Sally Ann's place. Her stop was closer to the school than his so he always had a few minutes to get himself together before he saw her. Once he overcame his original nervousness, a strong desire to impress Sally Ann took over. He had spent the better of two weeks telling her his best jokes and to his delight, she seemed as enamored with him as he was with her.

He pulled out the figurine he'd whittled for her over the past week and examined the animal closely. He wanted it to be perfect, to earn one of her soft shy smiles. She smiled often with him, but there was a certain smile—one that he knew was just for him—that he'd gotten the first time he called her beautiful. He'd never forget that day.

xXx

One Week Earlier

Sally Ann had twisted her hair into a braid around her head, and Hasil had found himself enamored with a neck for the first time in his life.

She sat beside him unsurely, her eyes flickering to his a few times before she spoke. "What?"

His face went hot, and he momentarily cursed inheriting his mother's fair skin because he knew he was beet red. He quickly looked at his lap and swallowed hard. "Nothin'. You just look nice today. I mean you do ev'ryday but you look extra nice today… Beautiful, I mean."

She didn't reply for a moment and he finally lifted his eyes to her face. She was blushing too, one hand raised nervously in search of the curls that normally framed her face. It fell back to her lap and she intertwined her fingers. "Nobody's ever called me beautiful before."

"I don't know how," he replied. "You're the most beautiful girl I ever seen."

She blushed and smiled, quickly looking away from him, then slowly turning back. Hasil shyly looked away, giving them both a moment to stop blushing, but found no relief as her fingers gently intertwined with his on the vinyl seat between them. He only dared the briefest glance and found her looking out the window. He could see her reflection biting her bottom lip and smiled at their kindred nervousness.

xXx

Hasil perked up as the bus rounded the corner before Sally Ann's stop. It amazed him that he was still excited to see her every day after a month, but there he was, on pins and needles as the bus approached the stop and she came into view. He could see that she wore a dress, a white dress sprinkled with red flowers. He smiled as she climbed onto the bus, her backpack in her hand. She made her way to their seat and Hasil quickly moved his backpack to make room for her.

"Mornin' sunshine," he greeted with a smile as she sat beside him.

"Hey," she replied. She looked at him with a sweet smile as she opened her backpack and produced a two pack of Twinkies. "Want one?"

Hasil smiled. "You know I do."

Sally Ann opened the package and handed him a Twinkie. Hasil took it and Sally Ann smiled as he leaned back on the seat and ate it greedily, getting the cream filling on his wispy mustache in the process. Sally Ann smiled as she leaned over to wipe it off but Hasil quickly leaned back, expecting her to tweak his nose the way she loved to. Sally Ann smirked. "Come here. You've got something on your face."

"I bet," he replied, not believing her.

Sally Ann sat up her knees and again reached for his face. "Stop being silly."

"No can do, ladybird. I don't trust you that well."

"Is that right?" Sally Ann raised an eyebrow at him.

Hasil nodded. "You've abused me too many times."

"Oh hush. I only pulled your hair cause I like you." Her cheeks burned. She hadn't meant to admit something so private so candidly.

"You like me? Well hot damn." Hasil smiled, blushing too.

Sally Ann smiled slowly. "How can you like me but not trust me to clean your face?"

He threw his hands up in surrender and Sally Ann leaned over to wipe the cream off his lip. Hasil licked the sweet confection off her finger then looked up at her seriously, reaching out to twirl a fallen curl around his finger. "I really like you, Sally Ann. Like really, a lot. I just… I wanna honor your feelings, you know, if you wanna call this somethin'."

She stared at her lap for a long moment then looked up at him with that secret smile that was all his, all theirs. "How about we say we're happy?"

His hand moved to hold her head, his thumb gently flicking over her earlobe. A tingle of anticipation ran up Sally Ann's spine when she realized he was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes just as his lips touched hers, tasting of the sugary treat he'd devoured. He smiled at the dazed expression on her face when he pulled away, confident he'd kissed her starry-eyed. "Now that's what I like to see."

"What?"

"My girl, lookin' as _smitten_ as can be," he replied with a silly grin.

Sally Ann rolled her eyes, a reluctant smile on her face. "Whatever."

"Don't whatever me, li'l woman. I'm a certified catch. And I'm dangerous. You're lucky cause I'm lookin' out for you."

At this, she laughed. "Looking out for me? You've probably got me by like 20 pounds. Not to mention you've only got 8 fingers."

Hasil laughed. "Well I got heart."

"You'd do better with, like, biceps."

"Well shitfire. Heart's all I got."

Sally Ann leaned over a kissed him again then smiled. "I'd take heart any day."

 **A/N: Reviews are cherished. XOXOXOXOXO**


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